#bombed the house and hung out in a book store for several hours and now I have | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

scarletkate1881 · 4 years

Text

Little Magnets - Pt. 3

A/N: Hey! Remember how I posted that itty bitty chapter yesterday? Welp, here's a whopper, it really got ran away from me and I couldn't find the right place to split it up. I'm really going to try and start updating regularly, I know there's nothing more frustrating than an unfinished story and I know how I want this story to go, it's just getting it out, y'know?

Anyway, if you're actually reading this, thank you, I love you and you're beautiful. Feedback/comments/critiques more than welcome :)

Part One

Part Two

Worry started to creep into Erik’s mind soon after the twins’ second birthday; worry that one of these days somebody would find him, worry he’d slip up and expose who and what he was, worry that his children would be mutants who would grow up in such an unfriendly world.

Humankind was slowly but surely getting more hostile toward mutants, reports of “dangerous mutants” was an almost monthly occurrence in the news and it was well known that there were numerous groups globally whose sole purpose was to hunt down mutants trying to live normal lives; somehow, their violent deaths never made the papers and no investigations made.

It enraged and terrified Erik at the same time, he wanted, needed, things to change but he couldn’t do anything lest he endanger his family. Should they be mutants, Pietro and Wanda would face harsh judgement and unjust hatred. For Erik, it was a dilemma that made his already sleepless nights more restless.

By the twins’ third birthday, Magda had began to worry, Pietro’s once chestnut hair was slowly growing out pure white; the local doctor had said it was probably down to some genetic trait and Erik was sure the man was correct, but not in the way he meant. Magda was well aware of the situation surrounding mutantkind, it was something the couple had spoken about more times than they’d like, however, it seemed like the thought that her children could have inherited their father’s genes hadn’t really crossed her mind, but once it had, it was all that occupied her thoughts.

The children never caught on or felt the rising concern in their parents, they were happy and never gave too much trouble; Pietro had a habit of wandering off whenever Erik or Magda took their eyes off him too long and had to be watched closely when taken to a store, unless he’d end up with a pocket full of grapes or something shiny to give to Wanda.

Wanda was quiet, she hardly spoke unless she desperately wanted something and always clung to her parents when they were out of the house. Despite the fact that she was the younger twin, mentally, she appeared older than her brother; understanding and learning quickly, she could read before Pietro had even bothered to look at a book.

By the twins fourth birthday, Erik’s bubble of familial happiness was showing signs it was close to bursting. Two weeks before Pietro and Wanda’s birthday, Magda had started to experience some health problems; erratic heartbeats, dizziness and even fainting on a few occasions.

Magda had tried to shrug off Erik’s concern and refused to have the village’s doctor see her. Her stubbornness had always been frustrating to Erik, but unlike in the past when he’d just laugh and shake his head with a twinkle of admiration in his eye, now it caused a feeling of weakness and desperation to the man.

It wasn’t until Erik came home from work to his children sobbing hysterically and their mother lying unconscious on the kitchen floor, that Magda allowed the doctor to visit. Erik stayed in the living room, playing with his children to distract himself while the doctor conducted his examination upstairs; after an hour, Dr. Balan descended the stairs with his head hung low and a sympathetic expression.

It continued for all of four months, for the first couple weeks Magda had tried to act like nothing had changed, that her loving heart wasn’t failing her, but quite quickly, she had become almost constantly bed bound, the medicine she took only dulled her pain. Magda still did what she could as a mother, reading to her children as they nestled into her side and watching while they played on her bedroom floor, unknowing of her ailment.

Erik had left his job immediately after her diagnosis, only ever leaving the house when the family was running dangerously low on food, however that was getting rarer as time went on; the village community, humans, had started to help the family after learning of Magda’s decline. Erik had, of course, tried to refuse their charity and kindness, his pride too strong to accept, but he had become too afraid of leaving the house, afraid that Magda would slip away while he was gone.

During her final days, was when Erik finally broke down completely. He couldn’t look after his children alone, they needed their mother, he needed his wife, but she had become a wilting beautiful flower; her eyes no longer shone, her skin an ashy grey. By this point, the children had noticed something was wrong but didn’t completely understand the severity of the situation and Erik didn’t know how to explain.

Magda was buried early on a Wednesday morning, only Erik and his twins in attendance, he refused to let anyone else be there. He stayed until Pietro and Wanda began to fuss due to hunger, he’d told them as best he could that their mother had gone, that she wasn’t in pain anymore, and no, Pietro, she wouldn’t be coming back in a couple of days.

The rest of the day was a numb blur for Erik, it wasn’t until he’d put his children to bed (which was a lot easier than it usually was as Pietro didn’t object in the slightest) that he realized just how quiet and dark the house seem. The place that once felt like a cosy little home just felt like a cluttered collection of rooms. Erik needed to leave.

During his crazier days, living life on the move had been the norm, sneaking across borders and slipping through blind-spots had been easy for him, but he knew he couldn’t drag his children around after him like that, they needed stability.

He knew he couldn’t stay in Romania, this was her country; Magda had always been very proud of her homeland, she’d never left and never planned to, which was the only reason he stayed. Originally, he’d only planned on staying in Romania for a night or two before crossing into Serbia, but then Magda appeared and he forgot Serbia and the plan.

Magda had Romani roots and as a child, she’d roamed the country with her family, until the Soviets invaded and the bombs fell. Magda lost so much at such a young age during the war, many of her family and friends were killed just for being ‘gypsies’, it was one of the reasons he’d clutched onto her; she knew, she understood how it felt, and yet she was a beautiful person, it hadn’t turned her cold or cynical like it had him, she was good, pure . . . his angel.

By Friday, Erik had made up his mind, helped by his ever-curious son. Ten minutes on his own and Pietro had rummaged through every drawer and cupboard in the living room, emptying the contents onto the floor; after calmly instructing the four year old to go play with his sister outside, Erik began shoving everything back into place until he came across a tatty letter that was faded with age.

Six years, would that be too long?

No, Erik thought sardonically, Raven would still be waiting. The feelings of disgust and anger at himself and pity and guilt for Raven twisted in his gut. But he needed help, Erik was not above admitting that, and Raven would walk through fire to help him . . . and he left her waiting in Serbia.

The day Erik received that letter, he’d went into full defense-mode, panicking that somebody from Magneto’s past, somebody so dangerous, knew where he was. Despite the lack of anger in the words, he still expected something, ‘Hell hath no fury’ and all that. He refused to let Magda out of his sight for almost a month, practically cutting off all contact with the outside world and not trusting anyone who came to the house; Erik still couldn’t understand why Magda would go on to marry him and birth his children, couldn’t she see the red flags?

The letter made it clear that Raven would wait, that he only had to say the word and she’d be there. But Erik kept mulling over the fact that it was Magneto Raven was loyal to, a man who commanded change and revolution; what would she think of him now?

Friday night, after putting his children to bed, Erik prepared to go into the village to use the telephone box; as he made the half mile walk, his mind kept flipping between the two possibilities: a part of him hoped that it would be too late, that the phone number on the letter wouldn’t work anymore, but then what could he do?

The other possibility was that it would work and he’d be able to get everything he needed to get himself and his children out of the country and start again elsewhere, and isn’t that what he wanted? Yes, but he didn’t want to dredge up the past, reconnect with his old life and have it taint his twins.

By the time Erik arrived at the phone box, he was on auto-pilot; he knew he needed to do and didn’t want to think too deeply about any of his decisions, just try to live in the moment and worry later. With the phone receiver in one clenched hand and the aged letter in the other, Erik dialled the number, held his breath and counted the rings.

One.

Two.

Thr –

“Hello?”

#magneto #Erik Lehnsherr #pietro maximoff #wanda maximoff #Scarlet Witch #quicksilver #magda eisenhardt #erik lehnsherr x magda eisenhardt #magneto is not a villain #Erik has feelings #Erik is a great dad #dadneto

14 notes · View notes

idreamofhazeleyes · 6 years

Text

Ties in Blood -- Chapter 21

Here’s chapter 21, which wraps up season 2 and maybe tying into one of my early drabbles.

@mrswhozeewhatsis @percussiongirl2017 @winchestergirl-13 @impala-dreamer @squirrelnotsam @optimisticpeacecollector5

Chapter 21

Aaliyah stepped out of the bathroom, feeling a little better after washing off some of the mud. Bobby offered Dean some chicken, which was refused. The fried food had some appeal to her, but even she passed up on it. She shifted her eyes between the two as Bobby suggested first burying Sam, then giving him a Hunter’s Funeral.

“Something big’s going down,” Bobby said, finally getting Aaliyah’s attention. “End of the world big.”

“Then let it end,” Dean shouted.

“You don’t mean that,” Bobby replied.

“You don’t think so? Huh?” Dean pushed himself from sitting on the bed to his feet. “You don’t think I’ve paid enough? Given enough? I’m done with it. All of it. And if you know what’s good for you, turn around and get the hell outta here.”

Aaliyah looked over to Bobby and took his lead. She grabbed her bag and headed for the door while giving Dean a small smile. “Keep my number.” Aaliyah knew better than to argue with Dean. She stepped out of the motel room and closed the door behind her. “I’m worried about him, Bobby.”

“I am too, kid,” Bobby said. “You get ahold of any hunters you know. We’re gonna need all the help we can get. Come on back to my place. We’ll figure something out.”

***

“Yeah, I know it’s late, Xander,” Aaliyah countered. “Things are …. Getting messy here and we’re gonna need help.”

“So you expect me to dump the vamp case and come help … with what exactly?”

Aaliyah glanced over to Bobby who was prepping something. “The Yellow Eyed Demon. We’re so close, Xander.”

“I’ll be that way when I get the vamp,” he told her. “I should be that way come dawn.”

Aaliyah made a noise before ending the call. She squeezed her hand around it while contemplating the thought of throwing it across the room.

“Not so good?”

Aaliyah sighed. “Amanda’s busy dealing with demons in New York. Nissa and Leo are off dealing with a pack of werewolves in Texas. I half expect those to be Chupacabras. And Xander’s got a vamp to deal with. He claims to be on his way when dawn comes around.” She walked into the kitchen, putting the phone on the table, and went to pull a beer from the fridge.

“Go get a shower first,” Bobby told her. “And some shut eye.”

“I’m fine on sleep.” Aaliyah closed the fridge without grabbing a beer. “But a shower sounds nice.” She found her clothes bag and pulled out some clean clothes before dumping the rest into the washer.

Alone in the bathroom, Aaliyah double checked to make sure the door was closed and locked. With the water running, she stripped off the clothes she had worn since the Michigan asylum and dumped each piece in a pile. Something caught her eye in the mirror. Her eyes narrowed as her eyes shifted their focus as if they were glazed over. In her sleep deprived state, Aaliyah swore it was a trick of the light. The light reflected in the mirror showed a shadow on the wall behind her. The shadow didn’t match the outline of her pale body. It seemed to be more like angel wings.

Shaking her head, Aaliyah rubbed her eyes and stepped into the shower. The dirt and dried caked mud washed off her body and down the drain. She worked the shampoo and conditioner through her hair, keeping the conditioner in while she worked through the grim on her body. Finally free of the dirt from the past few days, Aaliyah washed off the conditioner and soap. Drying off and dressing, she headed downstairs to see Sam and Dean were in the main room talking with Bobby. Stopped in confusion, Aaliyah attempted to mentally trace back the past several hours to figure out how Sam was walking and talking.

“Wyoming?” Dean questioned, his voice breaking into Aaliyah’s thought process.

“Yeah,” Bobby answered. “That one area’s clean – spotless. Almost as if…”

Aaliyah crossed over and looked at the spot on the map Bobby pointed out.

“What?” Sam asked.

“Demons are surrounding it,” Bobby said.

“But you don’t know why?” Dean asked.

“No, but my eyes are swimming,” Bobby said. “Sam, would you take a look at it? Maybe you could catch something.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sam said.

“Come on, Dean, Aaliyah,” Bobby said. “I got some books out in the truck.”

“Sure,” Aaliyah said. “Give me a sec for shoes.” She went and dug out a pair of socks and tossed them and her boots on before ducking outside.

Even before she could reach Dean and Bobby, Aaliyah heard the latter yelling at the former. Dean’s voice was low when he answered with one year.

“Are you crazy?” Aaliyah asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

“Damn it, Dean,” Bobby cursed.

“Which is why we gotta get this yellow eyed son of a bitch,” Dean said. “That’s why I’m gonna kill him myself. I got nothing to lose.”

Bobby grabbed hold of Dean’s jacket near his throat before Aaliyah could jump in between them. “I could throttle you.”

“And send me down a head of schedule?” Dean countered.

Bobby let go of Dean. “What’s with you Winchesters, huh? You and your dad. Both itching to toss yourselves into the pit.”

“That’s the thing, Bobby. I’m not even meant to be here,” Dean said. “At least this way something good will come of it. Like my life could have some meaning.”

“And it didn’t before?” Bobby asked. “Have you got that low of opinion of yourself? Are you that screwed in the head?” He grabbed Dean again.

Aaliyah glanced around, thinking she heard a noise from nearby. She moved away from the two men toward the area the noise came from. Ignoring their voices, Aaliyah came up along a car and hunched down to stay out of view. Footsteps crunched on the dirt behind her even as Aaliyah moved around the car and grabbed hold of the other person. The other person fought against Aaliyah’s hold even as she pinned them against the car.

“Ellen?” Dean’s voice called out.

“Mind calling your guard bitch off?” she requested.

Aaliyah reacted out of pure instinct by punching the car. “Wanna try again?”

“Liyra,” Bobby cautioned.

“I didn’t haul ass from Michigan dealing with ghosts to come here and be called a …”

“You’re a hunter?” Ellen asked.

“One of the best,” Bobby complimented. “Though she’s taken on the mentality of the boys at times.”

“One of the best?” Ellen echoed.

“Been hunting for … about four years now,” Aaliyah said, letting Ellen go.

“Oh God,” she said.

Aaliyah trailed after them back to the house where she grabbed a beer and leaned in the threshold between the kitchen and living room. There she listened as Ellen told how she survived the fire that took out the roadhouse by running to the store for pretzels.

“Ellen,” Bobby chimed in. “You mentioned a safe.”

“Hidden in the basement.”

“Demons get what was in it?”

“No.” Ellen pulled a folded piece of paper and unfolded it on the table.

Aaliyah stepped in and looked at the map that had X marks drawn on it.

“Wyoming?” Dean said. “What does it mean?”

Aaliyah tilted her head for a minute before going on a search for a marker while Bobby got up and went into the living room. He returned with a book when Aaliyah gave a small ‘ah-ha’ on finding a marker.

“Each of these X’s mark an abandoned frontier church, all mid 19th century,” Bobby said. “All built by Samuel Colt.”

Aaliyah returned to the table. “As in the demon killing, gun making, Samuel Colt?” She leaned on the table with one hand after uncapping the marker.

“Yep,” Bobby answered. “And he also built railroad tracks connecting the …”

Aaliyah heard him trail off when she started connecting the X marks into a pentagram.

“Tell me that’s now what I think it is,” Dean requested.

“It’s a Devil’s Trap,” Aaliyah said, straightening and admiring her work. “A hundred square foot Devil’s Trap.”

“That’s brilliant,” Dean said. “Iron lines demons can’t cross.”

“I’ve never heard of anything so big,” Ellen said.

“No one has,” Bobby said.

“And after all these years, it still works,” Aaliyah said.

“How’d you know?” Ellen asked, shooting her a look.

Aaliyah flicked her gaze over to the older woman and swore the look on her face screamed she doubted Aaliyah and her hunting ability. “All those omens that’s been popping up,” Aaliyah said. “The demons must be circling looking for a way in.”

“They’re trying alright,” Bobby chimed in.

“What’s so important that Colt’s trying to protect?” Sam asked.

“Unless…” Dean said. “He’s not trying to keep the demons out, but something in.”

“That’s a comforting thought,” Ellen said.

“Is it possible, Bobby?” Aaliyah asked, looking up at him. “Could they get inside?”

“This thing’s so powerful you need an A bomb to destroy it,” he answered. “No way a full blood demon can cross it.”

“No,” Sam said. “But I know who can.”

Aaliyah stepped off into the house while the others went through what might be needed for the trip. She dialed Xander’s number and started pacing when the ringing went past thirty seconds. The call finally went to voicemail. Confused, Aaliyah hung up and redialed the number. It went to voicemail again.

“Guys, something’s wrong,” she called out before she walked back into the room. “I can’t get ahold of Xander.”

“Vamp coulda gotten him,” Bobby suggested.

Aaliyah looked between the others while she attempted to grab hold of the several different thoughts that ran through her head. “I gotta go find him.” She started for the door even as a couple of them called after her. She pivoted, her body flared a little in the sudden movement, and went over to where her bag of clothes had been dumped. With the bag in hand, Aaliyah turned back for the door. She ignored the sound of the door opening and closing behind her as she headed for her car.

“Aaliyah, wait,” Dean called after her.

“Why? You all got a handle on it.” Aaliyah opened the back seat and tossed in her duffel and closed the door. “Besides, I’m just gonna have to prove myself to another hunter.” She turned around and found Dean a foot away from her. “You can’t do this without Sam; yeah I heard that. I can’t do this without knowing what happened to Xander. I know where to go after dealing with Xander.” She closed the distance between her and Dean. “Just … be careful, huh?” Aaliyah flashed him a smile before climbing into the car and driving off.

***

Aaliyah killed her headlights well before she turned down the drive. Something didn’t sit right. That feeling didn’t go away when she pulled up to the dark cabin. She climbed out of the car after getting it into position for a possible quick getaway. She armed herself with her preferred handgun with a couple back up clips and a machete before starting for the cabin. The front door was closed most of the way as she approached; like someone could pull it open without fighting against the knob.

With gun at the ready, Aaliyah eased the door open and scanned the dark room. There was a faint smell of blood in the air. She fought against the panic that rose up as she cleared each room one by one. In one room was a decapitated vampire. So where was Xander? Aaliyah moved for the kitchen just as a scuffle like noise stopped her on a dime.

“Who’s there?” a voice called out.

It was low, almost too low, for Aaliyah to hear. Her eyes narrowed and her head tilted in a way of trying to figure out the voice.

“I’ll shoot,” the voice called out again.

“Xander?” Aaliyah gasped.

“Aaliyah. Oh, God. I almost shot you.”

Aaliyah lowered her gun in her move over to her brother. The gun and machete hit the floor even as she reached out to Xander. “What the hell happened you couldn’t answer the damn phone?”

“That was you? I musta been outta it for a minute.”

Aaliyah moved her hands over Xander, feeling for any obvious wounds that needed to be dealt with. “Think you can move? The sooner we get outta here, the better. Shit’s about to hit the fan out in Wyoming.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Xander said, waving her off. “You go save the world.”

“Xander, what’s gotten over you?”

“I can’t move my legs.” His voice rose above a hush. “I don’t know how it happened, or what I hit during the fight, but … I can’t …”

“That’s bull.” Aaliyah put the gun in her pants waist band and put the machete where she could grab it. She pushed herself to her feet and offered a hand to Xander. “Come on. I’ll get you outta here and to help.”

Xander batted the hand away. “No, just let me die here.”

Aaliyah adjusted her footing and hunched down before grabbing hold of his shirt and brought him within inches of her face. “I’m not leaving you here to die. Not with that vamp out there. Now, you can feel sorry for yourself later.” She pulled herself back enough to have room to pull Xander up. There wasn’t much fight in him as she looped one of his arms around her shoulders. Aaliyah grabbed the machete before half dragging him from the house.

***

“Bobby, I promise I’ll be there,” Aaliyah kept her voice low, signing the last piece of paper. “Xander had a nasty fight with a vamp and I had to get him to a hospital.”

“We’ve got a serious problem and you’re worried …”

“Xander wanted to die there at the house when I found him,” Aaliyah cut in. “I wasn’t gonna let him do that. I’ve already called Nissa and Leo and they’re on their way in.” She adjusted the phone away and looked to the nurse. “What do I have to fill out for a seventy two hour psych hold on him?” She pulled the papers the nurse offered up and signed away. “Is there anything else?”

“No, ma’am.”

Aaliyah gave a brief nod before she turned away and saw herself from the hospital. “Bobby, I promise I’ll be there.”

“You better be here,” Dean answered.

“God, Dean. I swear I’ll kick your ass when this is through.”

“Like you’d be able …”

Aaliyah slammed the car door behind her. “I swear Dean, you’re making it difficult for me to wanna help.” She started the car and headed out for the highway. “Now, I can go off and do my own thing or I can see this hunt through along with you guys. I know what’s at stake here.” She hung up when no answer came from Dean.

***

Aaliyah pushed herself. She had parked next to the Impala and found the immediate area deserted. A note had been left on the windshield of the Impala in Bobby’s handwriting telling her where to go. That note had been dropped and forgotten when Aaliyah realized shit was going down. At one point gunshots had echoed in the air, spurring her on. A foot hit a broken headstone in mid stride, sending her flying. It took Aaliyah a few minutes to catch her breath from the fall before she picked herself up. The foot that hit the stone throbbed a little, either bruised or pulled muscle somewhere. She could put weight on it, which was good. Something glowed some feet away from her, grabbing her attention. She closed the distance to recognize the building as a crypt.

“Guys,” Aaliyah called out, her eyes focused on the crypt doors.

“Aaliyah,” someone shouted in surprise.

A hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her down behind the tombstone with them. It had to be perfect timing since Aaliyah heard the doors burst open and the sound of who knew how many demons escaping. She pressed her body against theirs in the attempt to have some sort of protection from the demons.

“What the hell just happened?” Aaliyah shouted.

“It’s a devil’s gate,” Ellen’s voice called out in reply. “A damn door to hell.”

“We gotta shut it up,” Aaliyah called out. She pried herself off her tombstone partner and started for the open doors. The heat from beyond the doors was blazing, still Aaliyah fought against it. She struggled against one of the doors even as Bobby came up behind her. A quick glance over to the other showed her Ellen and Sam in the same struggle.

“Dean,” Sam yelled, leaving the door.

“Sam,” Aaliyah called after him even as she looked back over a shoulder.

Dean was slumped against a tombstone and Sam was pinned against a tree. In between them was the person the yellow eyed demon used as a vessel.

Aaliyah looked between Bobby and Ellen in a silent debate between leaving them to deal with the door or to help the boys with the demon. She pushed herself off the door and darted for the demon. There was a small piece of hope that she’d reach it before getting noticed. That hope went out the window when Aaliyah hit an invisible wall and was lifted two feet off the ground.

“I’m surprised you’re still around,” the demon said to Aaliyah. “I mean, after all the mess you’ve gone through just to get here. And the way the other hunters look at you, like you don’t measure up to something.”

Her eyes flicked between Sam and Dean. Was the demon right about how she didn’t measure up against. She stared down the demon.

“You and your pathetic self worth,” the demon continued. “Trying to prove that you can make it in the wide world of hunting. Tell me, kid, how’s your brother doing?”

Aaliyah caught movement just beyond the demon and swore it looked like … She dropped to the ground and gasped for breath. She got a better look at the ghost struggling with the demon and smiled. Even dead John came back to fight. Shifting around, a hand brushed against something hard. It was the Colt. Picking it up, Aaliyah glanced over to the boys even as the thought of shooting the demon herself passed through her mind. It wasn’t right. She crawled over to Dean and held up the Colt in front of him.

He glared at her.

“Hey, I coulda shot it myself,” Aaliyah argued. She nodded when Dean accepted the gun before standing. “Oi, Yellow Eyes,” she called out when the demon regained its vessel. “Over here.”

It turned toward her and started toward her. Aaliyah rooted herself where she stood and froze when a gunshot went off beside her. The body lit up before dropping backward to the ground. Aaliyah heard the sound of Sam hitting the ground as she started off in the direction she came in. She got a few feet from where Dean picked himself up.

“Wait,” Sam called after her.

She turned around to see John approaching her from where Sam and Dean stood. John smiled and nodded before disappearing. Aaliyah half shrugged, dismissing what happened before she turned and left the cemetery.

She could hear three different voices call after her. No, now wasn’t the time for them to assure her that she was doing right by hunting. If she hadn’t gotten involved back in college, Xander wouldn’t be held up at a hospital in the same situation she was a year ago.

“Aaliyah, wait up,” Sam’s voice called, closer than the others. “Don’t let what the demon said get to you.”

“But he’s right,” Aaliyah shouted, spinning around to face him. “Every hunter I meet will have the same barely hidden judgmental look Ellen had. I had to race here from the hospital I left Xander at because he got fucked up going up against a vamp. But, yeah, you’re right, the demon didn’t mean what it said.” She turned back around and started for her car as Dean and Sam started talking. Her paced slowed before she stopped completely and turned to watch the brothers. Daring to get close, Aaliyah heard Sam ask if Dean sold his soul and how much time he had.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Sam said.

“Don’t get mad at me,” Dean said. “Don’t you dare, I had to do it. I had to look out for you; it’s my job.”

“And what do you think my job is?” Sam countered, catching Dean off guard.

“What?”

“You saved my life over and over again,” Sam said. “You sacrificed everything for me. Don’t you think I’d do the same for you? You’re my big brother and I’d do anything for you. I don’t care what it takes, I’m gonna get you outta this. My turn to save your ass this time.”

Aaliyah barely shook her head when Dean glanced over at her. “He’s got a point.”

“Well, your yellow eyed demon might be dead,” Ellen cut in as she walked up. “But a whole lot more got through that gate.”

“How many do you think?” Dean asked.

“Hundred or two,” Sam said. “It’s an army he unleashed.”

“Hope you three are ready,” Bobby said. “Cause the war’s just begun.”

#spn fanfic angst

8 notes · View notes

whereintheworldisclairerans-blog · 7 years

Text

Heyyyyyyyy

WOW Sorry it’s been so long you guys! I’m currently sitting in my now 100% furnished and decorated apartment in Madrid, listening to the numerous buses and people talking to each other in the street in Spanish and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been here a little more than a week now and it’s starting to feel like I’m here to stay. Just in time for me to leave again! Ha. We’ll get there though. So very much catching up to do, I don’t even know where to begin. Probably where I left off would be good, would’t it? That would be... Hamburg? I think so.

Our direct train did, in fact, end up being a direct train *hooray*. Jordan and I were both extremely productive and sketched a plan for my apartment (which ended up being pretty accurate) and wrote out goals, aspirations, etc. After waiting outside of our AirBnb for a while because we didn’t know which doorbell to ring, we found ourselves living in the land of luxury with a.... wait for it.... KING SIZE BED. After sharing full size beds (and/or mattress on the floor or just straight up floor) for the month, it was pretty exciting to starfish out and each have plenty of room. We made our typical dinner of pasta and wine and each hung out on our respective social medias, got caught up on emails, etc. We woke up around noon the next day and decided to treat ourselves to brunch. Jordan, being the TripAdvisor master of the trip, found us the perfect little place that was a brunch BUFFET. I honestly don’t know why more brunch places at home aren’t like that. You pay for the plate and a drink and then you just pick whatever you want. You can eat and eat and eat and ITS AMAZING. After stuffing ourselves to the brim, we decided to walk it off and spent the day rambling through the city center. It was lovely because Hamburg reminded us both remarkably of Denver, just with a lot more water. There was very similar architecture and the general vibe just felt like home. It was simultaneously comforting and a little bit heartbreaking, given that I don’t know when I will be home next. *cries a little* We decided to go shopping for some warmer layers, and I mooned over a backpack in an outdoors store. Which, despite the best efforts of the salesman, I did not end up buying. We ended the afternoon in yet another gorgeous park with warm chocolate and banana crepes before walking the three miles back to our AirBnb. That night, we decided to double check the check-in time of our reservation for Berlin, hoping that we could go into the city earlier to make the most out of our time there. And it was then that we had our first and only issue with any booking or accommodation. The AirBnb host in Berlin had canceled our reservation the day after we booked it (several weeks earlier) and we were never notified. So in a scramble, we had to book another one, that ended up being way farther outside of the city and nearly twice the cost. (AirBnb has compensated me a little, but to say it was inconvenient would be an understatement). We couldn’t check into Berlin until 4pm, so we decided to hit the brunch place again the next morning and properly stuffed ourselves before getting on the train.

And what a train ride it was. German trains are such a joke. We had become quite the pros at arriving on time, finding seats together and getting settled before departure. This time, however, the train just continued to sit there and sit there. We didn’t care, we had music and seats and that was all that mattered. Until everyone started to leave the train. We rolled our eyes, cringed and prepared for another travel day like the one from Zurich to Cologne. Luckily though, we asked the people next to us what was going on. They explained that the train route had been changed and that it was no longer going to the Berlin Central Station, but to the West Station. If we wanted to, we could run with the other 500000 people to catch a train leaving in 5 minutes, or we could stay on this one and arrive slightly later. SURPRISE we stayed on the nearly empty train, which ended up going to the central station anyways. Suckers. We did, however, get in much later than we had anticipated and we had booked tickets to this film festival that one of Jordan’s favorite bands did the score for. So we hustled to the AirBnb, dropped all of our stuff and then immediately left again to the complete opposite side of town. We followed the hipsters from the train, to the bus, to this cool set of warehouses, where we arrived half an hour late but nothing had started yet. Beers and popcorn in hand, we chatted with a super nice Spanish girl for a while before taking our seats to watch the movies. The theme for the night was on politics, with a specific focus on the nuclear bomb, so the first movie was Dr. Strangelove and the second was a documentary called The Bomb. 10/10 would recommend seeing both. It was very powerful and a cool experience. The next day was the day we had been waiting for the whole trip, the only thing that we had booked before we left, the Moderat concert! It ended up being Jordan’s big hipster day out, that started with her getting a tattoo, then some kombucha (and a coffee for me) and then we walked around the East Side Gallery (art that was done along the wall in the 90s), before heading home to get ready for the show. We had originally planned to get there early, but you all know how that goes... So we ended up arriving with the massive hoards of people getting off the train, then casually walking through a forest to get to the venue, where we promptly stood in line for two hours waiting to get in. We completely missed the opening band, and the first few songs of Moderat’s set, but it was worth it once we were in. We were able to make our way down to the front of the massive venue and danced our asses off. And then we got a snack before the looooooong trek home, where we literally squeezed into the metro with thousands of other people (where I met a very nice Spanish woman) and then onto a bus, and then a long walk back to the apartment. It didn’t matter though because we were both in incredibly good moods and it felt like we were in 7th grade again, dancing in the street and obsessing over how good the show was.

The next day was our “historical Berlin” day, where we saw more of the wall, learned about the failed and successful escape attempts, and what life was like on the East side. From there we went to a museum called “Topography of Terror” which was quite frankly the most depressing and terrifying thing we did our whole trip and maybe in my whole life. Without getting too into it, it was a museum about how Hitler came into power, and a very thorough documentation of what he did with it. The scary part, though, was in how many parallels there were in 1930s-40s Germany and 2017 in America. Food for thought. To get ourselves even more depressed, we went to the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, which was hauntingly beautiful. Our spirits were lifted though hearing the peals of laughter coming from the small children to whom the giants stones were nothing more than a playground, something for them to play “hide and go seek” behind. We decided to treat ourselves to Asian food for dinner, and went to this beautiful restaurant, that was full of upper middle class couples and playing rather explicit rap. It was an interesting evening. Our last day in Berlin was a pretty mellow one, traveling for a month was catching up to us and we spent the day chilling in a park and in a cute little coffee shop. That night we made ourselves our last plates of pasta and wine and binged Grace and Frankie.

AND THEN WE WERE OFF TO MADRID! A 4 hour flight and 3 metro trains later we arrived at MY APARTMENT! I cannot even begin to describe the relief that I felt at realizing that it was a real place, I hadn’t been scammed and that I really did have a place to live for the next few months. Jordan really didn’t feel well, so I left her sleeping and spent the day getting the immediate things we needed (AKA sheets and my credit card) and signing my lease. We ordered pizza to properly break in the apartment, and though it was rather loud that night in the apartment, definitely a wake up call to the fact that I voluntarily chose to live in international student housing, it has since gotten much better. The next day was the second day that we had been waiting for the entire trip - IKEA DAY! We took a half an hour long metro ride and then a 15 minute walk and loaded me up with (almost) everything I needed. It was a hilariously exhausting trip back, but we managed to carry everything that we bought in our hands, trekked back to the metro and then to my apartment. I am the kind of mover that likes to get everything done in one day, so I dragged Jordan out again and we had the BEST TIME. All that we had left to buy were hardware (screwdriver, fan, etc) and home goods (laundry detergent, trash bags), so we did some google mapping until we found what we thought was the perfect place. And then it was closed. Dejected, exhausted and done for the day, we started to make our way back home. We had passed this little store selling coffee makers and specialty coffee, and Jordan recommended that we stop in, knowing how much I need my morning fix. The guy who helped us was unbelievably friendly, and pointed us in the direction of a store two blocks away that would have everything else we needed. We went there next, to be helped by two more incredibly nice guys and got EVERYTHING. Arms full of shopping bags, we went to pick up some takeout for dinner and I realized that I had forgotten the one thing that I actually really needed, trash bags. I left Jordan with all the stuff, ran back into the shop to grab some and realized I didn’t have any cash. The machine could only do credit card transactions over $5, so the guy just let me take them and told me to just pay him tomorrow. Can you believe that?? I love this place.

The next day, after a few more shopping adventures, we decided to tourist around a little. First stopping at Atocha (the train station) to pick up our train tickets for Barcelona the next day, then going to el Retiro (park) and around downtown to get back home. We tried to get to bed early that night because our train left at 8am the next day, but naturally only slept for about 4 hours. We dragged ourselves out of bed, managed to make it to the train station on time, and 2.5 hours later we were in Barcelona! It was incredible to be back in the city that originally made me fall in love with Spain and we headed directly for the beach, where we spent the whole day listening to the familiar anthem of “Cervezaaaaaa beer agua waaaaaater cervezaaaaa sangriaaaa.” Jordan was not a fan, but I felt completely at home. It alternated between being sunny and cloudy all day, which made it the perfect temperature for swimming and laying. I was thrilled. It was dinnertime before I knew it, and we treated ourselves to a Menu del Dia, where Jordan had her first paella, patatas bravas and crema catalana. We were so relaxed that we nearly missed our last train, but we did in fact make it back to the apartment nearly 18 hours after left. We slept hard that night, and then it was Jordan’s last day. We spent our last few hours together relaxing, packed up her things, went to the store, and then had one last dinner and gelato. I went with her to the airport, and we sat together and looked at photos to kill time before we parted ways. I fought back tears the entire way home and then was greeted by all the roommates heading up to the terrace for a free drink. I decided to join them to try to be social, but wasn’t really in the mood and after a polite amount of time went back to bed.

I’ve spent the past couple days on my own running errands and getting settled in. I went for my first run around el Retiro, caught a gorgeous sunset along Gran Via, opened a bank account, joined a gym and am basically 100% settled in. I have a few more things to get done today, and then tomorrow I’m to Sweden for the weekend to visit Hanna! I can’t believe it, I got to see her just a few months ago in Colorado and now again! WOOO Europe is the best.

I’ll be there until Sunday, and then will spend next week doing more exploring of Madrid and maybe taking an overnight trip somewhere (since I have two travel days left on the Eurail pass whooo whooo). I’ll try to do better keeping you all posted!

1 note · View note

backofthebiketours · 5 years

Text

Activities for Children in Ho Chi Minh City: 13 Top Places to Visit with Kids

Parents who travel with children are superheroes. There are many people in the world who find traveling fun but stressful, with children, that stress can be tenfold. So our hats off to the globe-trotting parents across the world who are smashing the idea, “You can’t travel with children”, to smithereens.

We know that sightseeing, walking, and more adult-oriented activities can get exhausting for children and move them into the cranky zone.

The good news is, Ho Chi Minh City has been turned into a more kid-friendly destination recently. Our team put together the best child-oriented activities for parents looking to cater to the little ones. Read on to find out our recommendations on places that both children and parents can find fun and entertainment during your holiday.

Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater

How about putting your family holiday under the theme of original Vietnam for your kids to have some brand new experiences? Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater is where you can find one of the best original Vietnamese experiences.

The origin of the water puppetry art rooted over 1000 years ago in Vietnam. After a millennium, this kind of traditional stage art is now preserved mainly for its cultural values and tourism purposes. Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater is one of the few puppet theaters across Vietnam that brings you the most authentic water puppet shows.

Traditional music, excellent stage props and costumes, and the atmosphere there are what will make your first time with water puppet unforgettable. Although all the shows are presented in Vietnamese, language is not a barrier for you and even your kids at all. This is more of a visual experience than just the ears. Surely you will be able to catch up with the main theme of the show, which is mainly about folk stories.

At the moment, there are 2 daily shows available at Golden Dragon Theater, one at 5 p.m and the other at 6:30 p.m. In order to get the perfect view, I would suggest you book your tickets in advance, especially when you are traveling with your family. You can easily book your tickets with the hotel’s receptionist. You can also buy the tickets before the show starts around 30 minutes at the ticket booth next to the theater.

Address: 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St., Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Website: http://thanglongwaterpuppet.org/

Ticket price: 5 USD - 10 USD/ticket depending on your seat

Age group: Suitable for children of all ages

Arcade Games at Games World - Vincom B Shopping Mall

Oldie but goldie, that’s arcade games! Located in most malls around Ho Chi Minh City, Games World is where kids can take a break and let loose in the various malls around the city. There are several activities at the arcade such as basketball hoops, air hockey, bumper cars, video games, and bowling alleys. Vietnam is a little bit behind in newer, well-known arcade games, so we would go in with an open mind but we believe the games are suitable for most kids 9 and under.

Ass arcade centers are usually located in big shopping malls, there are also food courts, restaurants, ice cream shops, and bubble tea shops if you fancy lunch or dinner.

After having fun and filling up the stomach, how about watching a movie together with your family? The CGV Cinema - one of the largest cinema chains in Vietnam - is located in most major malls. You can easily find a suitable movie for every family member in English there as it always has the latest on-screen movies. Catching a movie can be a nice break from the heat of Saigon for kids, and the price of a movie is very affordable in comparison to most other countries.

Address:

B2 Vincom Center - 72 Le Thanh Ton Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Diamond Plaza - 34 Le Duan Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Aeon Mall Tan Phu Celadon, 30 Bo Bao Tan Thang street, Son Ky Ward, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City

Artinus 3D Art Museum

Let your kids enter a new world and be a part of some stunning 3D scenes at Artinus 3D Art Museum.

Artinus is the first and largest 3D art museum in Vietnam. The museum features over 100 3D paintings, which are created by professional Korean artists. Artinus Museum is divided into 9 sections with 9 different themes that are suitable for a wide range of ages. Vietnamese inspirations like the ao dai, fishing boats, and famous destinations such as Hoi An, Ha Long Bay or Hoan Kiem Lake are the main themes of the exhibition. World’s landmarks are also featured with the combination of dragons, dinosaurs, fairies, etc., giving kids the chance to travel back in time and around the world.

The most exciting part of visiting such a 3D museum is the great photos you can take. As all of the paintings are created especially for visitors to step in, get ready for lots of fun pictures! Getting trapped in the running away from dinosaurs in Jurassic World or falling out of a boat into the water are some creative poses that your kids will love at the Museum.

Address: 02-04, Street No.9, Tan Hung Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City

Tel: 028 6298 3767

Entrance fee: 9 USD/ticket on weekdays and 11 USD/ticket on weekends & holidays; free entrance fee for children under 90 centimeters

Opening hours: From 9 a.m - 6 p.m on weekdays; From 9 a.m - 8 p.m on weekends and holidays

Age group: Suitable for children of all ages

Book Street

This street is a little peaceful space in the busiest city in Vietnam - Dang Van Binh Book Street! More than just a quick stop, the Book Street is a worthwhile use of your time during the holiday in Vietnam.

This place is highly recommended for families to hang out as every member can find a book they are looking for during their trip. There are comics, children’s books, and toys, available for your kids. For adults, you will probably find your favorite books there as almost all big Vietnamese publishing houses have their stalls on this street. English, French and Chinese books are very popular on the street, so you can usually find something in your language that you can enjoy during your trip. There are some stores specializing in old books where you can look for older novels at a great price!

With some nice coffee shops located right on this street and surrounding shopping malls, you can easily plan a multi-stop route. Some nearby suggestions for you are McDonald's Café, Phuong Nam Book Cafe, Vincom Center, and Diamond Plaza.

Address: Dang Van Binh Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC

Opening hours: 8 a.m - 10 p.m daily

Entrance fee: 4-5 USD/person

Age group: Suitable for children of all ages

Cu Chi Tunnels

While most adults are going to be intrigued by the history and life of the Viet Cong during their trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels, some children might enjoy getting a bit out into the jungle to take a short trip through the tunnels. If you are concerned about crawling around in the tunnels, the actual part you crawl through is very short and shouldn’t worry you. They are also the perfect size for kids to take a short underground trip.

Most likely more interesting for little boys than girls, the War Remnants also has displays of the weapons used during the war including various rifles, bomb fragments, and tank remains where you can climb and take a photo.

Some adults can enjoy holding a real AK-47, adjusting the scope, and firing, at the onsite gun range. If you want to take your trip up a notch with an absolutely awesome speedboat ride to the tunnels, check out our Cu Chi Tunnels tour. The trip 2-hour bus/car ride to the tunnels might just be a boring nightmare for both children and adults, but on a speedboat, no one is bored!

Address: Provincial Road no.15, Phu Hiep, Cu Chi, HCMC

Opening hours: 7 a.m - 5 p.m daily

Entrance fee: 4-5 USD/person

Age group: Suitable for children over 11 years old

Tipsy Art Workshop

How about awakening the artistic soul inside your kids and yourself with a painting workshop at Tipsy Art? If you have absolutely no skills in painting, that’s perfect! Your family will find 3 joyful hours and lots of fun while enjoying a new experience in a different country.

Tipsy Art is well-known for taking the lead in popularizing art workshops in Saigon. Their Workshop locations are one of the unique things that differentiate Tipsy Art with others. Their workshops usually take place at coffee shops and co-working spaces with relaxing music and joyful vibes that are comfortable for children.

Here at the Tipsy Art painting workshop, your kids will have the chance to create their best piece of art on their own. Even though this may be their very first time taking on a painting brush, Tipsy Art’s dedicated facilitators are always there to help. A workshop ticket includes a 3-hour painting session, a free drink, and your own work! Imagine how excited your little cuties will be about taking their product home as a souvenir from their trip to Vietnam.

Address: As the workshop location changes regularly, you will be informed about the address after registering

Website: https://tipsyart.vn/

Ticket price: 18 USD/participant/painting

Age group: Suitable for children from 3 years old

Landmark 81

Being named as the tallest skyscraper in Vietnam has named Landmark 81 in the list of must-visit destinations in Ho Chi Minh. Landmark 81 houses a diverse selection of activities for both kids and adults, from entertainment to high-end shopping experience.

Located in Vinhomes residential, Landmark 81 is surrounded by a large stunning park with a small playground for your kids to play around. Besides that, the most significant stop for your kids when visiting Landmark 81 is Vincom Ice Rink. This is the first and the only naturally frozen ice rink across Vietnam. With a wide range of activities and fantastic performances, Vincom Ice Rink is the perfect fit for your family to cool down a scorching day ịn Saigon.

Getting inside the building, there are tons of shops and places for your family to have fun. On top of Landmark 81 is the Landmark Skyview where your kids have a chance to explore the sky from a fabulous angle - the highest point of the city! You can also find a fancy coffee shop called MIWAKU that serves excellent Japanese food and drinks.

Address: Landmark 81, 772 Dien Bien Phu, Ward 22, Binh Thanh District, HCMC

Age group: Suitable for children of all ages

Vàng Pottery Workshop

Craft activities are fun and children love them! There are few things that can get children engaged as willingly as hands-on crafts! Let them play with their creativity and shape their own product with a hand-on pottery workshop at Vàng Pottery.

Vàng Pottery’s workshops are held at River Side Cottage, which gives everyone a perfect and relaxing view by the river. You will be guided through the process of clay, glaze, and firing by dedicated ceramics professionals. Even if you’re a little clumsy for this kind of art, the workshop will fill your day with fun, smiles, and the enjoyable smell of clay.

As the number of participants is limited, you will need to book your workshop in advance with Vàng Pottery. Each workshop lasts around 2.5 hours. There are various topics for you to choose from, such as carving & painting, slab building, or making Vietnamese mask puzzles.

Address: Workshop is organized at The River Cottage, 18 Lane 6, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCMC

Contact: Booking your workshop via email at [email protected]

Ticket fee: 24 USD/participant

Age group: Suitable for children from 7 years old

Floral Workshop at Ted & Anna Flower Shop

Another engaging and active workshop for your kids to join from our list is floral workshops from Ted & Anna. Gorgeous flower arrangements form these workshops will bloom your day!

Unlike other workshop organizers, Ted & Anna feature seasonal floral workshops. This means you will only get the best flowers available at each workshop. Another unique thing about Ted & Anna’s workshops is their topics. They are not solely meant to be all about flowers. They are combined with well-chosen themes such as flowers & cooking or flowers & beauty. They also have exclusive workshops for kids on special occasions like the International Children’s Day.

Please notice that all of these workshops are seasonal, you have to contact them in advance for detailed information on their current workshop selections.

Address: 63 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCMC

Booking Contact: 090 493 91 99 or via email at [email protected]

Ticket price: 13 - 40 USD/participant

Age group: Suitable for children from 8 years old

The Snap Cafe & Restaurant

Have you ever got nervous when taking your kids with you to a restaurant or a café? With The Snap Cafe & Restaurant, you and your kids will all have a playful and relaxing time. There is an outdoor playground exclusively for kids with a big sandpit.

The Snap is a western-style restaurant. After the kiddos work up an appetite, then it’s time to treat your family with a tasty meal. BBQ, beefsteak, risotto, and spaghetti are some of the best picks for you to try at The Snap.

On Saturday evenings, The Snap usually has free live music performance. You can simply enjoy the music with your family or take the stage and test out your vocal chops!

Address: 32 Tran Ngoc Dien, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening hours: 7 a.m - 10 p.m daily

Age group: Suitable for children of all ages

Bee Bee Premium Kids cafe

Here comes another kid-friendly café for your trip - Bee Bee Premium Kids Cafe. If you are looking for a coffee shop that you can enjoy a nice coffee and good steak while capturing the best moments of your kids, this is the answer for you.

Located in District 7, Bee Bee Premium Kids is a coffee shop that provides an indoor playground for kids. The playground is truly a paradise for kids as it is fully equipped with toys. Bee Bee Premium Kids also provides other activities cater for a range of ages and interests such as books, baby pianos, bracelet-making, and statue painting sessions.

More than just a place for kids, Bee Bee Premim’s menu is taken seriously with many choices for food. Coffee, ice cream, salads, pasta, sandwiches, and even beer are all available here. Western and Korean food is also served at Bee Bee Premium, giving you and your family more choices for your favorite taste.

Address: F4, 96-98 Cao Trieu Phat, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City

Contact: (028) 3873 4351

Opening hours: 10 a.m - 8 p.m daily; Closed on Tuesdays

Age group: Suitable for children of all ages

Dam Sen Water Park

Dam Sen Water Park is our choice for your next destination. Dam Sen Water Park is one of the very first and most favored theme parks in Vietnam.

One of the top reasons that make Dam Sen Park a favorable destination for kids is its variety of amusing activities. There is a big wave pool for your kids to swim freely. If you are looking for more thrilling experiences, then give a try to its high-speed water slides or a Kamikaze ride. Every pool is observed by well-trained staff and guards.

Located right next to this park is Dam Sen Cultural Park, another place for you to spend time with your children. You can find over 30 different types of activities, all are fun and kid-friendly. There is a small zoo, a botanical garden, and a butterfly farm for your kids to learn about flora and fauna. Here is a tip for you: there is a monorail train traveling above the whole park. This is the best idea for you to get an initial overview of the park and see what excites your kids the most!

Address: 3D Hoa Binh, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening hours: 9 a.m - 6 p.m from Wednesday to Monday

Ticket price: 4 USD/child and 6 USD/adult

Age group: Suitable for children from 5 years old

Motorbike Tour around the city

The best way to unearth the true Vietnam’s daily life with your kids is to observe it from the back of a motorbike! As the “Sidewalk culture” is actually a thing in Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, a motorbike tour is easier for you to get around the city with your children without worrying about the crowded sidewalks and busy traffic.

Back of the Bike Tours provides you with one of the best motorbike-tour experiences in Vietnam. We have 7 different tours which are kid-friendly designed, including tasty food tours, culture and sightseeing tours, night-life tours, and tours to the further parts of the city such as Cu Chi. Each tour with different colors will bring you the most authentic vibes of Ho Chi Minh City that you cannot find anywhere else.

If you’re interested in having one-of-a-kind memories in Saigon with Back of the Bike Tours, book your tour now at:

These 12 destinations are our top picks for your trip with children in Ho Chi Minh. Fill it with endless fun and alluring moments, and don’t forget to share with us your incredible trip here!

Read Full Article Here: Activities for Children in Ho Chi Minh City: 13 Top Places to Visit with Kids

0 notes

notsofly · 6 years

Text

Ties in Blood Chapter 21

@mrswhozeewhatsis @impala-dreamer @winchestergirl-13 @percussiongirl2017 @idreamofplaid @squirrelnotsam

Chapter 21

“Something big’s going down,” Bobby said, finally getting Aaliyah’s attention. “End of the world big.”

“Then let it end,” Dean shouted.

“You don’t mean that,” Bobby replied.

“I am too, kid,” Bobby said. “You get ahold of any hunters you know. We’re gonna need all the help we can get. Come on back to my place. We’ll figure something out.”

***

“Yeah, I know it’s late, Xander,” Aaliyah countered. “Things are …. Getting messy here and we’re gonna need help.”

“So you expect me to dump the vamp case and come help … with what exactly?”

Aaliyah glanced over to Bobby who was prepping something. “The Yellow Eyed Demon. We’re so close, Xander.”

“I’ll be that way when I get the vamp,” he told her. “I should be that way come dawn.”

Aaliyah made a noise before ending the call. She squeezed her hand around it while contemplating the thought of throwing it across the room.

“Not so good?”

“Go get a shower first,” Bobby told her. “And some shut eye.”

“Wyoming?” Dean questioned, his voice breaking into Aaliyah’s thought process.

“Yeah,” Bobby answered. “That one area’s clean – spotless. Almost as if…”

Aaliyah crossed over and looked at the spot on the map Bobby pointed out.

“What?” Sam asked.

“Demons are surrounding it,” Bobby said.

“But you don’t know why?” Dean asked.

“No, but my eyes are swimming,” Bobby said. “Sam, would you take a look at it? Maybe you could catch something.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sam said.

“Come on, Dean, Aaliyah,” Bobby said. “I got some books out in the truck.”

“Sure,” Aaliyah said. “Give me a sec for shoes.” She went and dug out a pair of socks and tossed them and her boots on before ducking outside.

Even before she could reach Dean and Bobby, Aaliyah heard the latter yelling at the former. Dean’s voice was low when he answered with one year.

“Are you crazy?” Aaliyah asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

“Damn it, Dean,” Bobby cursed.

“Which is why we gotta get this yellow eyed son of a bitch,” Dean said. “That’s why I’m gonna kill him myself. I got nothing to lose.”

Bobby grabbed hold of Dean’s jacket near his throat before Aaliyah could jump in between them. “I could throttle you.”

“And send me down a head of schedule?” Dean countered.

Bobby let go of Dean. “What’s with you Winchesters, huh? You and your dad. Both itching to toss yourselves into the pit.”

“That’s the thing, Bobby. I’m not even meant to be here,” Dean said. “At least this way something good will come of it. Like my life could have some meaning.”

“And it didn’t before?” Bobby asked. “Have you got that low of opinion of yourself? Are you that screwed in the head?” He grabbed Dean again.

“Ellen?” Dean’s voice called out.

“Mind calling your guard bitch off?” she requested.

Aaliyah reacted out of pure instinct by punching the car. “Wanna try again?”

“Liyra,” Bobby cautioned.

“I didn’t haul ass from Michigan dealing with ghosts to come here and be called a …”

“You’re a hunter?” Ellen asked.

“One of the best,” Bobby complimented. “Though she’s taken on the mentality of the boys at times.”

“One of the best?” Ellen echoed.

“Been hunting for … about four years now,” Aaliyah said, letting Ellen go.

“Oh God,” she said.

“Ellen,” Bobby chimed in. “You mentioned a safe.”

“Hidden in the basement.”

“Demons get what was in it?”

“No.” Ellen pulled a folded piece of paper and unfolded it on the table.

Aaliyah stepped in and looked at the map that had X marks drawn on it.

“Wyoming?” Dean said. “What does it mean?”

“Each of these X’s mark an abandoned frontier church, all mid 19th century,” Bobby said. “All built by Samuel Colt.”

Aaliyah returned to the table. “As in the demon killing, gun making, Samuel Colt?” She leaned on the table with one hand after uncapping the marker.

“Yep,” Bobby answered. “And he also built railroad tracks connecting the …”

Aaliyah heard him trail off when she started connecting the X marks into a pentagram.

“Tell me that’s now what I think it is,” Dean requested.

“It’s a Devil’s Trap,” Aaliyah said, straightening and admiring her work. “A hundred square foot Devil’s Trap.”

“That’s brilliant,” Dean said. “Iron lines demons can’t cross.”

“I’ve never heard of anything so big,” Ellen said.

“No one has,” Bobby said.

“And after all these years, it still works,” Aaliyah said.

“How’d you know?” Ellen asked, shooting her a look.

“They’re trying alright,” Bobby chimed in.

“What’s so important that Colt’s trying to protect?” Sam asked.

“Unless…” Dean said. “He’s not trying to keep the demons out, but something in.”

“That’s a comforting thought,” Ellen said.

“Is it possible, Bobby?” Aaliyah asked, looking up at him. “Could they get inside?”

“This thing’s so powerful you need an A bomb to destroy it,” he answered. “No way a full blood demon can cross it.”

“No,” Sam said. “But I know who can.”

“Guys, something’s wrong,” she called out before she walked back into the room. “I can’t get ahold of Xander.”

“Vamp coulda gotten him,” Bobby suggested.

“Aaliyah, wait,” Dean called after her.

***

“Who’s there?” a voice called out.

It was low, almost too low, for Aaliyah to hear. Her eyes narrowed and her head tilted in a way of trying to figure out the voice.

“I’ll shoot,” the voice called out again.

“Xander?” Aaliyah gasped.

“Aaliyah. Oh, God. I almost shot you.”

Aaliyah lowered her gun in her move over to her brother. The gun and machete hit the floor even as she reached out to Xander. “What the hell happened you couldn’t answer the damn phone?”

“That was you? I musta been outta it for a minute.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Xander said, waving her off. “You go save the world.”

“Xander, what’s gotten over you?”

“I can’t move my legs.” His voice rose above a hush. “I don’t know how it happened, or what I hit during the fight, but … I can’t …”

Xander batted the hand away. “No, just let me die here.”

***

“Bobby, I promise I’ll be there,” Aaliyah kept her voice low, signing the last piece of paper. “Xander had a nasty fight with a vamp and I had to get him to a hospital.”

“We’ve got a serious problem and you’re worried …”

“No, ma’am.”

Aaliyah gave a brief nod before she turned away and saw herself from the hospital. “Bobby, I promise I’ll be there.”

“You better be here,” Dean answered.

“God, Dean. I swear I’ll kick your ass when this is through.”

“Like you’d be able …”

***

“Guys,” Aaliyah called out, her eyes focused on the crypt doors.

“Aaliyah,” someone shouted in surprise.

“What the hell just happened?” Aaliyah shouted.

“It’s a devil’s gate,” Ellen’s voice called out in reply. “A damn door to hell.”

“Dean,” Sam yelled, leaving the door.

“Sam,” Aaliyah called after him even as she looked back over a shoulder.

Dean was slumped against a tombstone and Sam was pinned against a tree. In between them was the person the yellow eyed demon used as a vessel.

Her eyes flicked between Sam and Dean. Was the demon right about how she didn’t measure up against. She stared down the demon.

“You and your pathetic self worth,” the demon continued. “Trying to prove that you can make it in the wide world of hunting. Tell me, kid, how’s your brother doing?”

He glared at her.

“Hey, I coulda shot it myself,” Aaliyah argued. She nodded when Dean accepted the gun before standing. “Oi, Yellow Eyes,” she called out when the demon regained its vessel. “Over here.”

“Wait,” Sam called after her.

“Aaliyah, wait up,” Sam’s voice called, closer than the others. “Don’t let what the demon said get to you.”

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Sam said.

“Don’t get mad at me,” Dean said. “Don’t you dare, I had to do it. I had to look out for you; it’s my job.”

“And what do you think my job is?” Sam countered, catching Dean off guard.

“What?”

Aaliyah barely shook her head when Dean glanced over at her. “He’s got a point.”

“Well, your yellow eyed demon might be dead,” Ellen cut in as she walked up. “But a whole lot more got through that gate.”

“How many do you think?” Dean asked.

“Hundred or two,” Sam said. “It’s an army he unleashed.”

“Hope you three are ready,” Bobby said. “Cause the war’s just begun.”

#supernatural spn fanfic

0 notes

katieincapetown · 6 years

Photo

Welcome to uShaka Marine World: Spring/Fall Break in Durban (March 31-April 5)

Sorry it’s been, like, a month...I’ve been busy. The thing I was going to post about after the classes is actually happening next week (it’s been quite a process with this particular excursion), so there will be a post about that (which will remain a surprise) maybe next Monday. There should also be a post the weekend after (April 21).

Get ready, because this is another long one, maybe too long. I think it’s the longest one yet because I don’t feel like making multiple posts. Maybe it makes up for not posting for a month. I included some links to Wikipedia articles to save myself some explanations and in case you’re interested in learning more.

Anywho. This week is fall break (aka my spring break). My friends Reem, Maggie, and Amanda invited me to come to Durban with them from Saturday to Thursday, For some background: Durban is the largest city in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, which is on the southeast on the Indian Ocean. It’s about a seventeen-hour drive from Cape Town to Durban, but we (very smarty) took a two-hour plane ride. Durban is very hot and humid and there are a lot of mosquitoes and palm trees (think Florida). Unlike Cape Town/Western Cape in general, Durban and KZN are not experiencing a water crisis. There is a drought, but it’s not nearly as severe as Western Cape, Northern Cape, and Eastern Cape and there are no water restrictions. Perks include free tap water at restaurants (which is, understandably, not a thing in Cape Town. You have to pay for bottled water, which makes free water a major perk), showers that are more than two minutes, and flushing the toilet every time. KZN is very green compared to Western Cape and defeintely much hotter this time of year.

Most of my pictures are of food, so that’s why there are so many food pictures here. The first two pictures are of Addington Beach, the third is at Ciao Bella Cafe, and the fourth is the night we had hibachi for Reem’s birthday.

More Indian people live in Durban than anywhere else in the world besides India. Consequently, there is a lot of curry. Of course I ate very well on this trip, I love curry. My personal favorite is bunny chow, which is unique to South Africa, specifically Durban. Bunny chow is either a 1/4 or 1/2 loaf of bread with the inside scooped out and filled with curry. It’s usually pretty spicy (my mouth hurts just thinking about it), but it’s the best way to eat curry. I’ll miss bunny chow when I go home, I have to figure out how to make it.

We stayed at a hostel called the Happy Hippo Backpacker Lodge. I had never stayed in a hostel before, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I enjoyed it mostly because I got to meet some interesting people (more about that later) and it was close to a nice beach. It was also super cheap (R1000 for five nights, which is a about $83), so that was nice for some broke college students.

Saturday: We left Cape Town on Saturday morning and arrived in Durban in the afternoon. We mostly just walked around and got the lay of the land. We went to some bars just for drinks on Florida Road (one was called Dropkick Murphy’s, which we thought was pretty funny).

Sunday: On Easter Sunday we spent the day at the beach. The beach was within walking distance of the hostel, which was perfect. We ran into Harm, a German guy about our age who was also staying in the hostel, and invited him to come hang out with us. It was super fun (even though we all ended up really burt): the water is warm and perfectly clear and the waves are amazing. The only drawback is that the swimming area is small and the lifeguards are very strict about staying within the area. The waves are big and the current is really strong, and there are sharks, so it’s understandable, but still. Nonetheless it was a really fun day, Amanda and I buried Reem and Maggie in the sand and the four of us attempted to build a sand castle without buckets. It was wonderful to sit on the beach and listen to an audiobook (which is not really my thing, I prefer regular books, but this one is narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda, it was free, and I’ve been wanting to read it for ages. You see the appeal. I do have to say that I highly recommend this book, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz. It was amazing and I really want to gush about it but this post is already too long).

After the beach we went to a restaurant called Mozambik with Harm. The food was so good. i had chicken with chips (fries) and vegetables and a minty cocktail. It was great fun. Harm was in Durban visiting some friends who were volunteering in one of the townships for a year, and it was really interesting to talk to him and learn about his experiences and about the townships. Harm was also super funny, and it was honestly a great night.

Monday: Monday was also a public holiday (Family Day, which is basically just a bonus day off after Easter), so that somewhat impaired what we were able to do. We ventured into the city to the Victoria Street Market, which is an indoor Indian market that sells everything from spices to jewelry to clothing to antiques. Think outdoor market but with less food and indoors. It was a public holiday, so we were pretty much the only ones there. That made it somewhat awkward, because we kind of felt bad not buying stuff at all the stores and we definitely stuck out. Not that we didn’t stick out the entire time, but it might have been better if there were more people. We met a nice Indian woman who was running a jewelry stall with her daughter. She gave us a lot of advice about Durban and what to do, and we got some very pretty jewelry from her.

We also walked around the area for a little bit, which might not have been the best idea but it was fine, We thought we’d find a place the woman at the shop told us about, but we couldn’t find it even with Google Maps, partially because all the streets have recently been renamed from colonial names. It was slightly sketchy, mostly because we really stuck out (both because three out of four of us are white and because we obviously don’t live there) and it was generally a slightly sketchy area. We made it back alright though. We also sat in a park for a while after we explored Florida Road during the day. It was so nice to sit in the grass and relax in a green park. One thing I really liked about this trip was the conversations we had, especially at every dinner and on this walk. We talked about political issues and social issues and just had some really nice, intelligent conversations. We went to House of Curries for dinner and sat outside. I had some really good bunny chow, and we split two bottles of rose wine so it was a long dinner. But it was a lot of fun to just sit and have a nice dinner for three hours and drink some wine with some great people.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday it was Reem’s birthday. We went to the beach for a bit, but it was kind of cold and windy so we ended up leaving. I have rarely been so sandy in my life--the wind blew the sand everywhere and we were covered in a layer of sand like some kind of sand-monsters. The longer showers were definitely ideal after that. For dinner we went to a hibachi restaurant. For those who don’t know, hibachi is Japanese and is a way of cooking where there is a big griddle in the middle of the table and the chef cooks right in front of you. This hibachi was a lot less of a show than it is at home; hibachi I’ve had in America involves lighting onions on fire, bouncing eggs, and all sorts of stuff. The food was amazing though. It was expensive, but about $20 for a nice dinner and a nice cocktail was not bad at all. We also explored the rooftop bar at the hostel. There is an indoor bar area and an outdoor seating area with plants and tables and whatnot. We ended up talking with the bartender (whose name escapes me right now) and his friend Mozee. We talked about how America and South Africa are different and about accents (of all things). Some people here find American accents annoying, but the bartender and Mozee were saying how they really like them. We also talked about school and the different experiences we have had. The bartender was saying how he went to an all-black school near the townships. The teachers were allowed to use corporal punishment, and the students were expected to resect teachers like they would their parents. In contrast, at the mix-race school he went to teachers didn’t use corporal punishment and were less strict. The classes were taken less seriously and people talked in class a lot.

Wednesday: On Wednesday we went to an art gallery (KwaZulu-Natal Art Society) and went to a restaurant with some pretty bomb milkshakes that our friend Mpumi (who is from Durban) had recommended.

We spent the afternoon and most of the evening/night on the rooftop bar, reading and hanging out with the bartender, Mozee, and their friend Moss. We talked a lot about how America and South Africa are different and about how Cape Town and Durban are different and watched some soccer.

Reem, Maggie, and I also went to hang out with some of our Arcadia fiends and some other study abroad people who were in town for the night. They splurged on an Air BnB that was a the bougiest penthouse apartment any of us had been in. It was right on the water and pretty close to where we were staying but it was an adventure to get there because Peter (our friend) gave us the wrong address. So that was fun. Thank goodes Andrew (our other friend) actually knew where they were. We ended up staying until 2:30am, which might not have been the best idea when we had to be up for check-out at 10am.

Thursday: Our flight didn’t leave until 5, so we had some time to kill. We went back to our favorite Ciao Bella Cafe for breakfast and just hung around the shops near uShaka Marine World. uShaka kind of became an inside joke with us, hence the title of this post. To get to the beach and other places you had to walk through uShaka, and everything was around that area. It’s hard to explain.

All in all it was a great trip, but I’m happy to be back in Cape Town even though I have to write three papers and study for an exam. Midterms are killing me. It was awesome to get to explore a city that is pretty different from Cape Town, in climate, vibe, and the people in general. It was also nice to hang out with the girls in a smaller group, I feel like this trip was a bonding experience. We travel together well, so there was no drama or anything even though we were around each other for six days straight.

0 notes